Forcing Me
by Field Crescent
Summary: After seeing Inuyasha with Kikyou, Kagome runs off, then decides she is going to go back to her own time.. But, her plans are changed when she runs into one of her worst enemies, and is forced to work with him. BANxKAG
1. Chapter 1

Her view of love always differed from others. Actually, she never really thought about the subject at all, avoiding it everytime it came up.

But sooner or later, that changed.

Her entire view changed on that one fateful day... When she met Inuyasha.

She truly believed that she had fallen in love. Inuyasha was the epitome of everything she ever desired in a guy. She loved every little thing about him... his flaws, his strengths... she admired his entire being.

She always bragged to her friends about him, making sure to make him come off as the perfect man. She was never one to gloat about anything. I mean, this was the girl who _always _**refused** to talk about boys.

But she couldn't help it.

Her friends didn't know Inuyasha. But they knew exactly how brave... strong... handsome and loving he was.

Kagome felt certain that he was he one. She had a raving instinct that he was the one man that she would cherish for life.

But... I suppose she thought too highly of him.

* * *

It all started and ended on a calm summer night. The gang had settled and made their camp deep in the forest.

As they sat around the fire eating their evening meal of ramen, Inuyasha had suddenly 'picked up the scent of a demon'. He insisted on going after it, just incase it decided to ambush the gang whilst they were asleep.

He had refused Sango and Miroku's offers to come with, insisting that he could go alone and take care of it himself. He wanted them to stay behind and watch Kagome... to make sure she stayed safe.

They knew that negotiating with Inuyasha was not possible. So, off he went, disappearing in to the forest by himself.

Kagome didn't buy it. Something about the tone of his voice made her strangely suspicious of his true intentions. Sure, he could be telling the truth... But she doubted it.

Kagome placed her half eaten bowl of ramen with the other plates, ignoring her still present hunger.

She told Sango that she was off to take a bath. Just as she figured, the tajiya protested, suggesting that she stay at camp until Inuyasha got back. Surely, Inuyasha would be worried if he came back to camp to find Kagome missing.

However, Sango knew that she couldn't dictate what Kagome did and did not do. She did all she could do; she told the miko to be careful, and scream for help if she needed it.

And with that, Kagome ventured in to the forest in the same direction that Inuyasha had went. Her eyes darted to her sides warily, trying to spot Inuyasha's silver mane.

She didn't have to go far before she discovered him.

... And he was **NOT **fighting any demon.

Instead, he was crushed against the one woman that she hated more than anything.

"Kikyou," Inuyasha purred.

Her name slid so smoothly off of his tongue... Just that one word held more passion that Kagome had ever heard. She couldn't even imagine him speaking to her in that tone.

She quickly darted behind a thick area of trees, watching the scene before her unfold.

Kagome felt her stomach twist in knots as they caressed eachother, their hands roaming freely across their clothed skin. The anger raging through Kagome's body was almost impossible to contain. Why the hell would he do this to her?

At every touch the hanyou made, Kagome wanted nothing more than to shoot an arrow right through both of them.

She clenched her fists, her eyes getting teary as he watched him tug at Kikyou's sleeves.

Kikyou giggled as she slipped her top off, exposing herself to Inuyasha fully. He growled playfully, pouncing forward and closing the gap between them.

At that point, it seemed that Inuyasha couldn't wait any longer. Their clothing was torn off, flying in all different directions, landing on the damp ground and hanging from tree branches.

With an almost sickeningly carnal desire, Inuyasha thrust himself against Kikyou. Kagome cringed as Kikyou moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Inuyasha!" she cried blissfully. "Oh god, Inuyasha..."

Kagome couldn't take it anymore. She didn't want to believe that Inuyasha was doing this. It was as if this were some sick, cruel joke.

But no, it was reality.

She felt dumb for thinking that Inuyasha would ever get over Kikyou. He would always love her... Kagome was merely a reincarnation, she could never take Kikyou's spot. As much as she yearned for Inuyasha to love her, she had the painful realization that he never would.

Kagome whipped around, barrelling in the direction of the well.

She just wanted to go home. She wanted to get away from everything. She didn't want to confront Inuyasha and hear his excuses. She didn't want to go back to the others and be asked why she was crying. She just wanted to curl up in her bed and cry.

She kept her eyes on the ground, trying to blink the tears out of her eyes. Her hands wiped at her red cheeks furiously.

She didn't know how close she was... She didn't even know where they had camped out. For all she knew, the well could be miles away. But she didn't care... She would be anything to avoid having to see Inuyasha.

Suddenly, she smacked in to something.

Pain erupted in her forehead as she fell backwards, landing in the soft grass. She groaned and grasped the sides of her head, only causing more tears to fall.

_Why am I so clumsy?_

After a moment, she opened her eyes, expecting to see a tree in front of her.

...Her breath caught in her throat.

What she had hit in to wasn't a tree...

But, before her stood the one person whom she feared more than anything, smirking down at her with mischeivous blue eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

"B-Bankotsu?" Kagome stuttered, instinctively backing away from him.

"Hey there, wench," he replied nonchalantly.

She narrowed her eyes, peeved by his 'greeting'. "It's Kagome. My name isn't 'wench'."

_Good time to correct him, Kagome, _she thought, almost wanting to slap herself. _Now when he kills you, he'll make it hurt even worse!_

She watched him as he twirled his sword around absently, his eyes following it as it swung in the air. She let out a shriek as it swung toward her, narrowly missing her shoulder. He chuckled, propping it on to his shoulder and smirking.

"Alright... wench," Bankotsu said casually. "So, what are you doing out in the woods alone? Shouldn't dog boy be protecting you or whatever?"

Kagome could feel tears form once more, and she shook her head. "He's too busy with Kikyou. I doubt he'd care if I got ran over by a bus," she scoffed.

Bankotsu's expression faltered at the mention of a 'bus', but he continued smirking. "Oh really? That sucks for you. I didn't know that they were together."

"Neither did I," Kagome quipped bitterly.

Bankotsu laughed, obviously not noticing the seriousness in her tone. Carefully, he drew his Banryuu from his sheath and took a step toward her.

"So... have you met my companion?" he asked, grinning cheekily.

Kagome's eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet, backing away from him. She watched him closely as he twirled the hilt in the palms of his hands.

"I asked you a question," Bankotsu narrowed his eyes.

"Uh... yeah, remember um, when we... you fought Inuyasha," Kagome mumbled, her eyes widening as he inched the halberd in her direction.

"Yeah. Remember, he dented it," Bankotsu grumbled. "But that ended up being okay, because I put some sacred jewel shards in the crack."

"I know."

"Oh?" Bankotsu raised an eyebrow.

Kagome nodded quickily, and he smirked.

"I'm getting bored of this... I think we've talked enough," he said after a moment. "So... what should I do with you?"

_Not kill me_ she thought dryly.

"Huh?"

"I-I don't know!" Kagome cried, taking a step back.

He stepped forward with an amused grin. "You know... I can make this quick if you want. Or I could chop your arms and legs off first," he mused. "I think that that it would be more fun to do it slowly."

Kagome felt her throat get dry and her entire body begin to tremble as he took another step forward. He pulled his Banryuu back, tilting in on it's side. He could slice her head off if he just swung once...

"You know... I don't think that either of those options sound very nice," she muttered.

"What's that?" he asked.

"You- You shouldn't kill me," Kagome replied quickly.

"And why's that?" Bankotsu asked.

He set his sword on top of his shoulder, watching her with an amused smirk as she fumbled with her pocket. She pulled out a small glass bottle and he raised an eyebrow.

"This," she said quickly.

She threw the bottle to him and he examined it. Inside were four jewel shards.

"I can help you," she mumbled.

Kagome had no idea what she was getting herself in to. She should've ran away when she had the chance. But now, she was stuck trying to persuade a mercenary not to kill her. She would probably never get out of this.

"I almost forgot that you can sense the sacred jewel shards," Bankotsu said after a moment.

He slipped the bottle in to his pocket and grinned. "You're going to help me."

Kagome's eyes widened as he continued, "You **will** help me. We are going to collect the shards to resurrect my brothers."

She was tempted to run away at that very moment. There was no way in hell that she was going to work with a monster to bring back six other monsters! Bankotsu seemed to notice her contempt and moved his Banryuu toward her once more.

"You can help me, or I can just kill you right now. It's your choice," he said.

Kagome closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "I'll help you."

She had no other choice. She could either refuse to help him and be killed... Or she could help him and hope that Inuyasha would come to the rescue. Hey, maybe Inuyasha was looking for her at that very moment.

Somehow, she highly doubted it.


	3. Chapter 3

"You know, girl," Bankotsu said with an amused smirk. "Don't think that I don't know what you're doing. Trying to escape is useless."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kagome mumbled, her voice shaking.

Obviously, she wasn't quite as sneaky as she had thought. For the past hour and a half, she had tried to find an escape route... perhaps an opening in the thick bushes, or a cave... However, she was quickly losing hope. It seemed like the forest path was never ending, with no way to escape and nowhere to run.

Her shoulders slumped in disappointment as Bankotsu grabbed her upper arm, pulling her next to him.

"Do you sense any jewel shards yet?" he asked.

_Yes_, she thought to herself, but she wasn't going to tell him that.

She had already decided that there was no way that she was going to have a part in helping to resurrect six monsters. Bankotsu would never know whether she was telling the truth or not anyway...

"I haven't sensed any," Kagome muttered, looking down at her feet. "I don't think that there are any around here."

Bankotsu didn't respond, and she peered over at him hesitantly. He seemed to be contemplating something, his eyebrows furrowed and a frown on his lips.

Suddenly, he lunged to the side. She shrieked as his hands wrapped around her neck tightly, pounding her in to the forest floor. She cried out as Bankotsu held his Banryuu against her neck, a look of pure malice on his face.

"Look, I know this little game that you're playing," he sneered. "If you don't cooperate, I won't hesitate to slit your throat. So if I were you, I'd stop lying right now."

"I'm not lying!" Kagome gasped.

Tears formed in her eyes as he laughed dryly, pressing his Banryuu closer to her neck. "How stupid do you think I am? I see right through you. I should just kill you---"

Suddenly, his eyes widened and he pulled away from her. He quickly dusted off his pants and sighed shakily. "Let's just go... _now_. Before I change my mind."

Kagome forced herself off of the ground and stood, running to catch up with his long strides.

She peeked at Bankotsu from the corner of her eye, scared that he might snap if she looked in his direction. He had a thoughtful look on his face, yet his eyes were completely blank.

She couldn't help but to wonder why he had decided not to kill her. Only a few moments ago, she was positive that she would be dead.

_Maybe... he kind of likes me? _Kagome thought, raising her index finger to her chin. _Nah... he's just using me to bring back his brothers._

They walked in silence, the only sound coming from dead leaves crunching underneath their feet. Kagome noticed that the sun was slowly beginning to rise, peeking above the tall trees. She hadn't even realized that they had been walking _all night._

Bankotsu stopped walking and turned to her. She gazed at him questioningly, eyebrow raised.

"Do you sense any jewel shards?" he asked, his voice almost monotonous. "This time, don't lie."

"I don't anymore," Kagome mumbled.

"AHA! So you did sense some!" Bankotsu exclaimed, pointing a finger at her accusingly. "I knew it! Lying wench."

"Anyway," he continued. "I'm guessing you're tired... so we should probably take some time to sit and rest a bit... I'm going to go see if there are any springs around here."

"And don't leave," he added, smirking. "I wouldn't want you to get eaten alive by any demons."

"Are you sure about that?" Kagome muttered dryly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Hurry back," she said quickly.

Bankotsu nodded and headed off in to the woods. Kagome watched him closely, waiting until he disappeared in the trees before turning around and sprinting in the opposite direction.

She may be eaten by a demon, but any demon was better than Bankotsu.

She veered off of the forest path, barrelling straight in to the bushes and deeper in to the forest. She gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the sharp pain as twigs and tree branches sliced away at her skin.

It seemed as though she had ran for miles until she burst through the bushes and in to a clearing. She collapsed in the overgrown grass, tears streaming down her face.

At that moment, she wanted to be with Inuyasha more than anything. She wanted Sango, Miroku, and Shippou... She just wanted to be _safe_. She didn't want to be with a psychotic mercenary anymore.

However, as she sobbed in to the grass, she didn't seem to notice the sound of leaves crunching behind her. A shadow loomed over her, slowly reaching for her frail form.

"Now what's this? A little girl in the woods all alone," a voice purred.

Kagome froze at the sound of the voice and slowly turned around...

A scream erupted from her throat.


	4. Chapter 4

"Y-Yura!"

Kagome pushed herself up and slowly backed away from the woman, never taking her eyes off of her as she crawled across the damp, rain-soaked forest floor. She strugged to get to her feet, but her knees buckled and she tumbled to the ground once more.

Kagome had never been paralyzed in fear.

But then again, she always had Inuyasha with her. When he was around she didn't have to be afraid of anything. When there was trouble, he always took care of it.

But Inuyasha was gone; Just a thing of the past. Now, she had to fight her own battles.

Kagome reached behind her back, desperately grabbing for her bow and arrows. However, she only grasped air. She groaned when she realized that she had left all of her stuff at the camp.

"How are you back? You- You turned to dust," Kagome choked.

"It's amazing what the sacred jewel shards can do- and a little help from Naraku too, of course," Yura smirked, obviously amused by the teenager's fear. "Where's your little half demon? Isn't he going to save you?"

Yura smiled mockingly as Kagome continued to back away; Only stopping when her back hit a nearby tree.

_This stuff only happens to me _Kagome thought dryly.

"Aren't you going to answer me?" Yura asked innocently. "Where's your dog friend?"

"He's not here," Kagome snapped.

At a time like this, the last thing she wanted to talk about was Inuyasha.

"Ah-ah-ah," Yura wagged a finger in front of Kagome's face. "Don't be rude to me."

Kagome watched with wide eyes as Yura paced in front of her, tapping her chin in mock-thought. "Now, what should I do with you?"

"Let me go," Kagome suggested, trying in vain to keep her voice from shaking.

Yura glanced over at her and narrowed her eyes; She stopped pacing and stood directly in front of Kagome with a wicked smile.

"I was actually thinking the exact opposite."

"I think... I think I want your hair. And boy, what an easy way to get it. You have absolutely no way to defend yourself!" Yura giggled.

She reached for the small sword hooked to her waist and slid it out of it's holder. "I'll be easy on you. There's no reason to tire myself out anyway."

Yura hovered over her, thrusting her sword in to the air. Just as she was about to swipe it through Kagome's neck, the feeling seemed to rush back to her legs and she rolled out of the way quickly. The sword slammed against the tree and left a large, painful looking gash in the wood.

A look of surprise crossed Yura's features and Kagome took the chance to escape, dashing back in the direction in which she had came.

"Get back here!" Yura yelled, immediately chasing after her.

Kagome got much farther than she thought she would before Yura caught her, slamming her up against a tree and holding the sword against her throat.

Kagome knew that the camp site was still far away. Bankotsu would never find her; he would never hear her scream, or even find her dead body on the forest floor. _She had no hope_.

Yura smiled in satisfaction, knowing that she finally had the girl cornered. There was no way that Kagome would be able to escape this time.

Yura drew her sword back, keeping Kagome pressed tightly against the tree. Just as she was about to stab her neck, the sound of yelling echoed through the clearing.

"GIRL! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Kagome knew that voice; Immediately she felt a huge spark of hope. She never thought she would be _thankful _to hear **Bankotsu**.

"Bankotsu!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "I'm over here! Help!"

"Bankotsu?" Yura spat. "Who the hell is that?"

Kagome felt a smile slide on to her face; Maybe she wasn't going to die. Yura noticed her smile and glared at her.

"You little wench--"

And as if Kagome's prayers were answered, there was a huge blast and her vision was full of white. She heard Yura let out a scream in pain, and the air filled with smoke.

"Gi-- Kagome, where are you?" she heard Bankotsu yell.

If she were in this predicament before, she would've ran. But at that moment she didn't even have the energy to. "I'm over here," she mumbled.

She heard shuffling and closed her eyes, falling down against the tree. A few moments later, a pair of strong arms lifted her, and she was carried out of the smoke and in to the clean air. She fell limp in his arms, resting her head against his chest.

"Thank you... Bankotsu," she mumbled tiredly, before falling in to a deep sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Kagome moaned groggily as she opened her eyes. Her vision was slightly blurred and almost every part of her body ached with a dull, uncomfortable pain.

She blinked a few times and wriggled so she was balanced on her elbows. Random body parts cracked as she stretched, stiff from their lack of movement.

"Bankotsu?" she called out quietly, her voice strained.

There was no answer. Kagome rolled over and pulled herself up, standing on shaky legs. Pain pulsed through her legs as she struggled to keep her knees from buckling.

Had Bankotsu abandoned her?

...Why had he even saved her in the first place?

_How did he even find her_?

There were so many questions running through her mind as she glanced around, noticing that she was in a small clearing. There was a huge wall of bushes around her, and a thick forest beyond it.

"I see you're awake finally," Bankotsu commented.

Kagome whipped around to see him walking toward her, a bundle of firewood in his arms.

"I told you not to run off," he stated matter-of-factly. "Maybe you should listen to me for once, huh."

"You saved me," she said.

He glanced up at her for a moment and shrugged. "Hey, don't think that I did it because I care. I need you to help me find the jewel shards, that's all."

Kagome smiled weakly, trying to hide her disappointment. Why did she even think for a moment that he truly cared? She was just a tool to him.

"You're lucky that I came, you know," he said after a moment, smiling smugly. "You disobeyed me... I'm sure anyone else would've left you to get your head chopped off. I'm sure you won't try to escape again, right?"

He smirked knowingly, and Kagome sighed. She knew that he just wanted the satisfaction of hearing her tell him how right he was.

"I asked you a question," Bankotsu said.

"I won't run off again," she nodded quickly. "So... um, how long was I out?"

"All day," Bankotsu replied. "Since you ran off and passed out, it set us off schedule. So thanks a lot."

"Yeah..." Kagome sighed, glaring at the ground.

"Anyway, we need to find some shelter..."

Kagome looked up at him curiously and he rolled his eyes, pointing to the sky. "It's dark out and it's about to rain," he explained.

Kagome looked up at the mass of swirling dark gray clouds; it looked like it would begin pouring at any moment. "Oh... yeah," she mumbled.

Somehow, Bankotsu could easily manage to make her feel like a fool whenever he wanted...

"Will you stop standing there? Let's get going," he growled.

She followed after Bankotsu like a lost puppy as he walked in to a patch of thick bushes. It began to drizzle as they walked; luckily, the trees above them mostly shielded them from the downpour.

"There is a cave about less than a mile from here," Bankotsu said loudly. "It's kind of small but it will do for the night."

The rain began to fall harder, and Kagome became drenched as soon as they were no longer under the trees. Bankotsu didn't seem to be affected by the rain; he walked as though he wasn't carrying twenty pounds of firewood and being pelted by raindrops.

Kagome watched him in fascination as he walked; there was something about his movements that was absolutely captivating. He walked with an almost regal air of confidence, his head held high and his strides long.

"We're almost there," Bankotsu called. "The cave is just behind all of those vines."

"Thank God," Kagome mumbled.

Bankotsu had obviously miscalculated when he said that this cave was less than a mile away. They had been walking for almost two hours, dealing with tree branches and bushes cutting their legs, and of course the extremely heavy downpour that seemed to be never-ending. Kagome felt as though they had walked about _five _miles, not one.

She could've sworn that her legs were going to fall off.

When they reached the curtain of vines, Bankotsu unsheathed his Banryuu and cut through them in one swipe.

He wasn't lying when he said that it was small. There wasn't much to it at all; the opening was about four feet across, and just as tall. Bankotsu crawled in, and Kagome followed.

The dirt on the floor stuck to her wet clothes as Kagome sat against the side of the cave, pulling her knees to her chest.

Bankotsu sat across from her, rubbing some sticks together to start a fire. It was obvious that he knew what he was doing, because in a matter of minutes, the fire was already large and blazing.

Much to Kagome's surprise, Bankotsu crawled up beside her and leaned against the cave wall.

"You're soaked," he said bluntly.

Kagome gasped sarcastically. "Really?! I didn't notice."

Bankotsu narrowed his eyes and looked away. "I was just trying to be nice and start a conversation. You don't have to be such a bitch," he scoffed.

It was only about ten at night, but Kagome already felt her eyes getting heavy and her body slouching farther against the wall. The rain pouring outside was surprisingly peaceful, as was the soft crackle of the fire.

As Kagome slowly drifted to sleep, her head tilted and hit something hard. She heard Bankotsu let out a small, almost inaudible gasp, and he shifted beneath her uncomfortably.

"Um... K-Kagome," he stuttered.

She fell asleep before he could say anything else.


	6. Chapter 6

Kagome woke up the next morning with a stiff pain in her neck. She carefully sat up, looking down to see that her head had been leaning against a large rock.

"Bankotsu!" she growled angrily.

He appeared at the opening of the cave, drenched in rain water and carrying a basket of what she assumed was food that he had stolen from... somewhere.

"What got stuck up your ass?" he asked, dropping the basket in front of her. "I got some breakfast, if you are interested."

"My neck hurts," she snapped.

"Well watch where you fall asleep!" Bankotsu grumbled, his face turning light pink.

Kagome rolled her eyes, lifting the side of the basket to peek at it's contents. "Where did you get all of this?" she asked.

Bankotsu sighed in relief, grateful that she had changed the subject.

"I got it from a village," Bankotsu replied innocently.

Kagome narrowed her eyes, "You killed them for it, didn't you?" she hissed.

"How'd you guess?" Bankotsu shrugged nonchalantly.

Kagome's jaw dropped and she glared at him in disapproval. Why the hell did he have to be so cocky?

"I refuse to eat something that you stole and killed innocent people for!" she snapped, pushing the basket away.

Bankotsu glanced at her for a moment before shrugging once more and grabbing the basket, "Suit yourself. Don't whine to me when you're starving."

Kagome watched as he pulled some sake and a fresh roll out of the basket. The smell of fruit and fresh bread filled the cave, mixing with it's already musty smell. Bankotsu glanced up at her and grinned. He purposely held the roll directly in front of him, slowly pulled a piece off of the end and stuffing it in to his mouth.

"This is _soooo_ good."

Kagome narrowed her eyes and sighed, snatching the basket from him. She didn't want to watch him do that for another twenty minutes.

"A change of heart, I see?" Bankotsu asked, his mouth full of food.

"I might as well get used to it since I'm stuck with you anyway," Kagome mumbled in defeat.

"You will get used to it, sooner or later," Bankotsu shrugged. "I'm sure it's probably some culture shock or whatever in the beginning, but it's a way of life."

Kagome found it slightly strange that at times she managed to actually have a halfway civil conversation with Bankotsu. This boy was one of her and Inuyasha's worst enemies; Now, she didn't even know what to think of him.

They ate the rest of the food in the basket in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, but then again a silence could never really be comfortable when you were stuck in a cave with a cold blooded killer. When they finished, Bankotsu stood and made his way back out of the cave.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Kagome asked.

No matter how much she disliked Bankotsu, it was better having his company than being alone in a dirty cave while it was pouring rain.

"_We _are leaving this place," he stated. "Rain isn't going to stop us from getting jewel shards."

"But-- Bankotsu, it's pouring! I'm not going," Kagome crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. "No way."

"Yes, you are going whether you like it or not," Bankotsu snapped.

Kagome could tell his patience was running thin already. He wasn't exactly the most understanding person to talk to.

"No, I am no--" Kagome let out a shriek as Bankotsu stomped to her and quickly swung her over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" she squealed desperately.

He ignored her, pulling her out of the cave and in to the pouring rain. She pounded at his back, twisting in his strong grip. "Let me _go_!" she yelled.

"What?" Bankotsu called over the rain. "Sorry, I can't hear you."

"You ass!" Kagome growled.

And that's when it hit her; she immediately sensed a jewel shard. "Bankotsu... t-there's one that way," she turned her body so she could point in to the woods.

Bankotsu set her down, keeping a firm grip on her upper arm as he dragged her in the direction she had told him. She didn't even bother trying to pull her arm away; Bankotsu's hold was like a death grip.

"You should be careful," Kagome said quietly. "I can sense more than one- maybe five or six."

"I can take care of it," Bankotsu snorted, unsheathing his Banryuu.

They walked deeper in to the forest, Kagome leading the way. They didn't go far before they reached the entrance to a large clearing; she could sense that the jewel shards were merely yards away.

"They are very close," she mumbled, pointing at the clearing. "Somewhere over there, I'm sure."

Bankotsu nodded and pulled her behind a tree. He put his hand on top of her head and pushed her down, forcing her to the ground.

"Stay here, I'll be back," he said.

Before she could protest, he walked in to the clearing. For a few moments, there was silence. The only sound could be heard from Bankotsu's footsteps sloshing against the wet grass.

"Are you sure you sensed jewel shards here, Kagome?" Bankotsu's annoyed voice rang. "There's not even anything--"

Suddenly, there was a loud crashing noise and Kagome saw a flash of blue and white whip across the clearing and pound in to the tree next to her.

She peered around the tree to see Bankotsu's body, his clothing tattered and a large gash running across his chest.


	7. Chapter 7

"B-Bankotsu," Kagome mumbled shakily, inching toward the injured boy. "Are you... okay?"

Bankotsu groaned and opened his eyes slowly. "Kagome..." he muttered.

"Bankotsu, are you alright?!" she asked frantically, her eyes scanning over the large cut that was embedded in his chest.

She lifted a hand and moved to gingerly touch the torn fabric that hung loosely around his wound. Bankotsu's eyes widened and his breath hitched in his throat. Kagome looked up at him with wide, concerned eyes.

"Bankotsu... we need to bandage--"

"LOOK OUT!"

Before Kagome knew what was happening, Bankotsu threw her aside and hopped to his feet, staggering forward with his Banryuu in hand. Kagome screamed and dodged behind the tree she was originally hiding behind, peeking around it to watch the scene before her unfold.

What she didn't expect, was to see that all too familiar red kimono flash in front of her.

"Inuyasha," she whispered.

Now she knew why she had sensed so many jewel shards; When she had last saw Inuyasha, he had atleast 3 with him. Who knows how many he had now.

Bankotsu and Inuyasha circled eachother, both holding their swords high, as though they were ready to strike at any moment.

"Why did you _kidnap _Kagome?!" Inuyasha spat bitterly.

Bankotsu smirked and rolled his eyes. "Why do you care, dog boy? Weren't you too busy with _Kikyou_ anyway? _I'm _the one who saved your little girlfriend."

"Shut up," Inuyasha grumbled defensively. "You don't know anything."

"Is that so?" Bankotsu twirled his sword and swung it toward Inuyasha.

Inuyasha caught it just in time, blocking it with his own and pushing it back at Bankotsu. Bankotsu staggered a bit, obviously weaked by his wounded chest.

"Got a little cut, huh?" Inuyasha smirked.

Bankotsu grunted, glaring at the hanyou, "It was a cheap shot. You can't beat me in a _fair _fight, huh?"

"I'm done talking to you," Inuyasha growled, lunging forward.

Kagome ducked behind the tree as their swords slammed together. They moved quickly across the clearing, knocking at trees and bushes as they swung blindly at eachother. They got a few good hits at eachother, Bankotsu getting the bulk of them. Kagome couldn't help but notice how slow he was moving.

And what surprised her most, was that she was actually genuinely _worried _about him.

The clearing itself began to get bloody, the grass and trees getting splattered with blood from the two opponents. Kagome turned her attention away from the fight, feeling herself getting queasy.

The fighting continued, the only sounds coming from the clanking of metal swords, and the two boys shouting obscenities at eachother.

Kagome's curiousity got the best of her and she peered around the tree once more. Inuyasha and Bankotsu were in the middle of the clearing, their swords locked together.

"Why don't you just run back to your dirt mold?" Bankotsu growled. "You're not going to win anyway."

"You're all talk, aren't you?" Inuyasha shot back.

"Isn't this sad? You're a half demon and you can't even beat a human," Bankotsu chuckled, forcing his sword forward.

Inuyasha stumbled back and Bankotsu smirked, swiping his Banryuu across Inuyasha's chest.

"Damn you," Inuyasha hissed through gritted teeth.

Bankotsu just laughed, though he clenched his stomach as he did. It was obvious that he was in pain. If he fought anymore, he would probably be killed... And he seemed to realize that.

"This was fun, Inuyasha. But I gotta go. Maybe we can do this again sometime."

With that, Bankotsu lifted his sword and slammed it in to the ground. The clearing was filled with blinding light and Kagome closed her eyes tightly.

"Kagome-- Hey, Kagome, come on!"

She opened her eyes, now seeing nothing but dark grey smoke. She couldn't see the source of the voice, but she could immediately recognize it to be Bankotsu.

"Kagome!" Her shoulder was grabbed roughly, and she was pulled up. Bankotsu didn't say a word as they made their way out of the smoke, going at an insanely slow speed. Kagome could tell that Bankotsu was limping, and she could feel hot blood on her fingers as she gripped his arm to hold him up.

When they finally made it out of the smoke, Kagome got a chance to see the damage. Part of her wished they were still in the smoke.

Bankotsu's whole body was filled with cuts, his clothing torn in numerous places. His bangs were matted to his forehead by a mixture of sweat and blood, and his hair was completely unbraided and fell to his waist in unruly, knotted waves. Blood was literally dripping from his body as they walked.

"We need to get back to that cave," Bankotsu mumbled, his voice raspy. Kagome could tell that he was trying to sound like he wasn't in pain, but she knew that he obviously was; She could only imagine how he felt at that moment.

It took two long, grueling hours to drag Bankotsu to the cave. Carrying Bankotsu with armor _and _his Banryuu wasn't an easy task. Luckily, he was still capable of balancing himself to an extent.

They ducked in to the cave, and Kagome gingerly placed him against the wall. She shrugged her backpack off and set it down beside her.

"So..." Bankotsu mumbled casually. "Can I take you up on your offer to bandage me up now?"


	8. Chapter 8

"_SHIT_!"

"What the _HELL _is that?!"

"That _burns_!"

Kagome sighed in frustration, her forehead pounding. "Bankotsu, will you sit still already?!"

"Get that shit away from me," Bankotsu ordered, motioning frantically toward the open bottle of rubbing alcohol.

Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose, squeezing her eyes shut. "For the hundreth time, _I need to clean your cuts_, and I can't if you won't stop being a big baby about it!"

"I'm not being a baby," Bankotsu grumbled, narrowing his eyes. "You try having a burning water pressed on your cuts."

Kagome sighed, shaking her head. For the past hour and a half, she had been trying to clean Bankotsu's wounds. However, he wouldn't stop complaining about the 'burning water'.

The moment she pulled out the bottle of alcohol, she could see that he was wary; perhaps she should've known better than to introduce something completely foreign to him and expect him to have no problem with it.

In that hour, she had heard more curse words than she ever had in her entire life. She had become so accustomed to the arrogant, cocky boy that would never admit that something was wrong... It was strange to see him now, begging her to stop the pain. It was almost frightening to know that even the great, powerful mercenary had weaknesses behind his presumably indestructable shield.

"Can you use something else?" Bankotsu grumbled.

"Bankotsu, this is the only thing that will help. If we don't clean your cuts, then you aren't going to get better," Kagome explained pointedly.

"Yeah, burning my skin off will make it all better," Bankotsu muttered, rolling his eyes.

"_Will you grow up already_?!" Kagome seethed.

Bankotsu's eyes widened. His mouth opened and closed a few times, and Kagome could tell that he was obviously trying to think of _some _rude retort. However, after a moment, much to Kagome's surprise, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the cave wall.

"Just get it over with," he grunted stubbornly.

Kagome grinned triumphantly and poured some alcohol onto a strip of fabric, dabbing it lightly against a small cut on his shoulder. She glanced at Bankotsu's face as she did so; He was staring straight ahead, a frown on his face. His eyebrow twitched each time Kagome applied pressure.

She set down the cloth and dug through her backpack for a box of bandaids, pulling out about 6 different packages and setting them down beside her.

Bankotsu watched her in awe as she unwrapped an adhesive pad, pulling off the tabs and sticking it to his shoulder.

"How'd you make it stick?" he asked, his blue eyes wide in both fascination and confusion.

"It's a band-aid. It has sticky stuff on the back so it sticks to your skin," Kagome explained.

Bankotsu raised an eyebrow. "Band-aid?"

"It's something from my time--- Village. It's from my village," Kagome said quickly.

Bankotsu stared at her for a moment before rolling his eyes. "You're _weird_," he scoffed.

Kagome snorted. _'Boys.'_

She moved on to clean and bandage the rest of his cuts, figuring that it would be best to save the big one for last. Surprisingly, Bankotsu behaved for the most part. It didn't stop him from shooting out snide remarks and demeaning names, but Kagome was thankful that he would atleast sit still.

"Are you almost done?" he asked, resting his head on the palm of his hand lazily.

"Only one more," Kagome muttered.

She examined the cut on his chest, finally getting a good look at it. It extended from his right shoulder to a little below his rib cage on the left side of his chest. The blood was just beginning to dry up, forming a thick crust on and around the gash. The clothing that still hung around it was soaked in blood and completely shredded.

"What's the damage, doctor?" Bankotsu smirked.

Kagome looked up and glared at him before sighing heavily. "It's pretty bad, actually."

"You think?" Bankotsu snorted.

Kagome stared at the gash for a few more moments, trying to figure out how she was going to go upon cleaning it. The solution made her cringe.

"I think... Bankotsu, can you take... your shirt... off...?"

His eyes widened. Kagome glanced up at him nervously, her cheeks turning bright pink. A sly smile slid on to his lips when he realized just how _uncomfortable_ she was.

He was going to have fun with this.


	9. Chapter 9

"So, are you sure-"

"No, you aren't fat," Kagome grumbled, scowling.

She shifted under Bankotsu's intense gaze, her eyes glued to the alcohol soaked towel in her hands.

The last twenty minutes had been filled with a slew of dumb, perverted questions.

_"Kagome, am I fat?"_

_"Kagome, does this muscle look bigger than the other?"_

She wasn't quite sure what his motives or intentions were, but she was assuming that he just wanted to annoy the hell out of her. It was definitely working. Kagome would've willingly dropped the towel and left him to get an infection. However, she knew that that wasn't the right thing to do. Afterall, he _had _saved her from Yura. She owed him _something_.

"Kagome, do I--"

"No, you don't have a nice body," Kagome cried in frustration. "Shut up, you cocky bastard."

Bankotsu stared at her for a moment, his eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar. He didn't look hurt, just... shocked. Shocked that she had stood up to him.

Kagome glanced up at him, eyebrows raised. "What?"

"Wow, Kagome," he said, grinning cheekily. "You are a rude bitch."

"Whatever."

"You know, I'm glad you finally grew a pair," Bankotsu chuckled. "I'm proud of you."

His gaze never left hers, and she narrowed her eyes. "Stop staring at me."

"You're staring back," he smirked.

"I am not!" she argued angrily. "You started it!"

Bankotsu rolled his eyes as Kagome snatched the alcohol soaked towel from the ground. "Look, I just want to get this over with. So hold still," she ordered.

She leaned forward, dabbing the towel against his skin lightly. She tried to be gentle, though she didn't know why. _She didn't even like him_. He deserved to cry like a baby, in her opinion.

"You know," Bankotsu muttered after a moment, flinching as she wiped away at the cut.

"What?" she sighed.

He was silent for a moment, staring down at her mischievously. _This is gonna be good_.

"Your hair," he grinned devilishly. "Smells very good."

Kagome's head shot up. She let out a shriek when her eyes met a pair of sparkling blue ones. Her face was merely an inch from his. "You perv!" she yelled.

Impulsively, she wrung the towel and slapped it against his stomach. Bankotsu let out a painful cry, his eyes tearing up. He shoved her away from him and shot up as though he were on fire, throwing the towel away from him.

"You bitch!" he cried. "You _**BITCH**_!"

Kagome's eyes widened as she watched him hunch over, gripping his sides.

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "I-I didn't mean to!"

He didn't seem to hear her as he clutched his stomach, his eyes closed tightly.

"That hurt so fucking bad," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! It's just- you shocked me," she explained desperately. "I'm so sorry!"

His eyes opened after a moment, and he stared at her. He just _stared at her_. His expression showed absolutely no emotion, his eyes blank and his mouth pulled in a tight line.

"You didn't _mean_ to shove a burning cloth in to my cut?" he asked calmly.

Kagome sighed, immediately feeling guilty. "It was an accident."

He was silent for another long moment. Kagome watched him carefully, waiting for a response.

"...You are a bitch," he said.

And much to her surprise, a small smile slid on to his face.

"I kinda like it."

And even though Bankotsu's plan totally backfired on him, somehow he didn't mind.


	10. Chapter 10

"So... do you even have any idea where we're going?" Kagome asked impatiently.

Bankotsu ignored her, hopping over a tree stump that lay in his path. He cringed slightly as he landed, obviously disturbing the wound on his stomach. Kagome scowled, picking up her pace to meet up with his long strides. He was walking unusually fast, leaving Kagome breathless after only a few moments.

"...Bankotsu, I asked you a question, you know," Kagome grumbled, flicking his shoulder impatiently.

Bankotsu peered over at her curiously, eyebrows raised. "_Huh_?"

Kagome narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest with an angry huff. Bankotsu furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, obviously clueless as to why she was in such a bad mood.

"What bit you in the ass?" he asked casually.

"We're you even listening to me at all?" Kagome demanded.

Bankotsu stared at her for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "Nope, not really."

"I asked you where we are going," she repeated through gritted teeth.

Something about that careless, cocky attitude of Bankotsu's was beginning to get on her nerves more than anything. Kagome was already tired of him undermining her, demeaning her, ignoring her, ordering her around, controlling her... He didn't seem to acknowledge the fact that _she was human too_. She wasn't his pet, like he seemed to think.

Sure, she had to admit that his attitude was attractive _sometimes_, she couldn't deny it. But most of the time, Kagome just wanted to shoot an arrow through the back of his head.

"I told you," Bankotsu said after a moment. "We're just going to walk in any direction until you sense some jewel shards. Then we will get the shards and go in a new direction."

"So we're just going to _wander around_?!" Kagome asked impatiently. "What if I don't sense any jewel shards?!"

"Kagome, there are a zillion shards out there. There's no way in hell that we'll walk around _alllll_ day and not find a single one," Bankotsu said slowly.

"Damn it, will you stop talking to me like I'm five years old?!" Kagome shrieked. "I'm getting so tired of you and your annoying, rude, overconfident attitude!"

"Well _excuse_ me," Bankotsu snorted.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about!" Kagome growled indignantly.

Bankotsu rolled his eyes, turning away from her and jumping over yet another tree stump. Kagome crossed her arms over her chest with a huff.

"Insensitive jerk."

Sometimes, Bankotsu was just too unbelievable.

"So, do you believe me not when I told you that we aren't going to find any jewel shards?" Kagome snapped.

The sun was just beginning to sink below the mountains. Kagome and Bankotsu had spent nearly all day _walking_, and so far, Kagome hadn't sensed a thing.

Intense pain shot up her legs, and she couldn't even imagine how Bankotsu felt. Of course, he would never admit that he was in pain. But with his injuries, he must've felt as though he were going to crumble.

"Bankotsu---"

"Will you just shut up?" he growled, whipping around and glaring at her. "So I was wrong. Don't hold it against me; I can't predict the damn future!"

"I told you from the beginning that this was a dumb idea! You're just too caught up with yourself that you don't take the time to listen to a word that I have to say!" Kagome hissed.

"That's because I don't _want _to hear what you have to say!" Bankotsu exclaimed angrily. "You and your opinions don't mean anything to me! As soon as I get these stupid jewel shards, I'm getting rid of you! You aren't good for anything! I regret even kidnapping you in the first place, you're just a pain in the ass!"

Kagome felt her heart shatter at his words.

She didn't know what she was expecting. She didn't _think _that he was ever going to like her. She already _knew _that he never would. But why did it hurt so much when he confirmed it?

Maybe she had just gotten too caught up with him being so unusually nice to her, that she forgot who he truly was. Bankotsu couldn't like anyone. The only people he could ever like were himself and his brothers. Hell, he probably didn't even truly like he brothers.

Bankotsu's eyes widened as he noticed a lone tear slip down the side of her cheek.

"Um, Kagome... are you..." he trailed off.

"You are a jerk," Kagome snapped.

And with that, she turned on her heel and stomped away, leaving him dumbfounded.


	11. Chapter 11

Bankotsu stood staring in the direction that Kagome had went, wide-eyed and mouth agape.

What exactly was he supposed to do?

Sure, he had dealt with his fair share of women in the past. But crying ones? Not so much.

"...Kagome?" he called out in to the bushes.

Of course he didn't expect a response. He was pretty sure that she didn't want to talk to him ever again. He crossed his arms over his chest with a frustrated huff.

Why did he have to be so damn stupid? Why did _she_ have to be so overemotional? It's not like he had said anything that could've made her overreact so badly_._

"_That's because I don't want to hear what you have to say!" Bankotsu exclaimed angrily. "You and your opinions don't mean anything to me! As soon as I get these stupid jewel shards, I'm getting rid of you! You aren't good for anything! I regret even kidnapping you in the first place, you're just a pain in the ass!"_

... Okay, maybe he was a little harsh. But it was the truth.

_... Was it?_

Bankotsu shook his head with a scowl. Of course he didn't like Kagome. He was just using her.

He gazed ahead of him, still contemplating whether it was worth it to go find her. He wouldn't admit it... But in reality, he truly did need her. He needed her for the jewel shards, but deep down he needed her for a whole different reason. He just didn't know what it was.

But that unknown reason by itself compelled him to start toward the direction in which she had ran. He knew that he needed to find her. And much to his dismay, he knew that he owed her a _huge _apology.

He scanned his surroundings as he walked down the long forest path, his hand placed securely on his Banryuu. It was beginning to get darker, the sun disappearing completely and being replaced with bright stars and a full moon. He knew that it wouldn't be easy to find her.

"Kagome?" he called carefully.

There was no response and he sighed in frustration. "If you don't tell me where you are, you're going to get killed by a damn demon and I'm not going to help you."

"I bet you'd like me to get killed," a voice snorted quietly. "It's not like you care."

Bankotsu's ears perked up and he spun around in the direction of the voice.

"Kagome, where are you?" he asked.

She didn't answer. However, as Bankotsu turned back around, he heard a small, choked sob. Instead of calling out for her once more, he followed in the direction of the crying.

He pushed through a large curtain of tree branches, a sigh of relief escaping from his lips when he found her only a few feet in front of him. He grinned triumphantly; searching for her all night was not something that he would've wanted to do. She hadn't even gotten as far as he thought she would have.

His smile vanished when he heard her let out another painful sob. He stood over her, observing her with a frown. She was sitting in the overgrown grass, her knees pulled to her chest and her face buried in her hands.

"Kagome?" he mumbled awkwardly. "I need to talk. To you, I mean."

"What do you want?" she murmured, her voice so muffled that it was almost incoherent to him.

"Well... uh..."

Bankotsu groaned in frustration, clenching his fists. He just couldn't seem to form any words. He was used to apologizing to _anyone_... He didn't even _want _to apologize to her.

"If you are trying to apologize... Don't, because I know that you don't mean it anyway," Kagome whispered.

"No..." Bankotsu sighed. "I really... Man, I'm bad at this."

Kagome chuckled lightly, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I know. You probably don't do it often though, do you?"

Bankotsu blinked, staring at her in surprise. "What's up with the small talk? I thought you were mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you," Kagome mumbled. "It's just... This is hard. There's so much going on right now."

Bankotsu gazed at her for a moment, not quite sure what she was talking about. "What do you mean?"

"I miss my family," she said bluntly.

"Oh..." Bankotsu muttered.

He took a hesitant step forward, eyebrows furrowed. He had never even thought that she had a family. Afterall, she was always traveling with Inuyasha.

Slowly, he lowered himself beside her. She took an obvious doubletake, eying him curiously.

"Where's your family?" he asked slowly.

Kagome's eyes widened and she lifted her head from her knees. She stared at him for a moment, immediately noticing just how uncomfortable he looked. He crossed his legs, absently tugging at the grass in front of him.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he said after a moment.

"No..." Kagome said quickly. "My family is at... my village. I usually go see them every week but... I haven't seen them in more than two weeks. It hurts because I know that they're probably so worried about me."

She felt tears well in her eyes. She could just picture her mother's worried face... Her and Souta and her grandpa all standing around the well, waiting anxiously for her to come. _But she wasn't going to come_.

She buried her face in her hands, trying to hold back her tears. Despite her effort, they spilled out like water in a broken dam.

Bankotsu shuffled beside her, closing his eyes.

For once in his life, **he didn't know what to do**. He thought he knew it all, yet here he was, completely clueless on how to make a girl stop crying. When village women cried in front of him, he killed them. Unfortunately, killing Kagome wasn't exactly an option. He could, _he just didn't want to_. And that one fact confused the hell out of him.

"Sorry," he groaned.

"No, you aren't sorry," Kagome mumbled sharply. "Telling you about my family is a waste of time, because you'll never let me see them anyway."

Bankotsu opened his mouth to argue, but closed it when he realized that _she was right_. He wouldn't let her see her family.

"I don't trust you," he growled. "You've already tried to escape, why the hell would I let you do it again? I know better---"

"No you don't!" Kagome cried. "For all you know, maybe I _like _staying with you! Maybe I don't want to run away."

"Yeah right," Bankotsu snorted, rolling his eyes.

Did she really think that he was _that _stupid?

Kagome sighed in frustration, burying her head back in her hands. "You always make things so much worse," she huffed. "I want to go home!"

And at that moment, Bankotsu felt something that he had never felt before... He felt _guilty_. He had never felt that way, not even with his brothers. Yet here he was, feeling like an asshole for making a girl that he barely knew cry. What the hell was wrong with him?

"Kagome," Bankotsu mumbled, touching her shoulder lightly. "Don't cry."

She didn't seem to acknowledge him, only burying her head deeper in her arms.

"Aw, come on," he muttered, narrowing his eyes. "Stupid oversensitive girls can't control their goddamn emotions..."

"I never even had a family. Stop being a whiny little---"

Bankotsu stopped midsentence as Kagome lifted her head and glared at him. "Do you ever shut up?!" she hissed.

"Do you ever stop bitching?" he retorted coldly, shifting his gaze to a random tree. "You must drive dog boy crazy."

Bankotsu knew that he had hit yet another nerve when Kagome didn't respond. He peered over at her and noticed a visible frown on her face.

"Kagome, are you---"

"Inuyasha," she whimpered.

"What did I do now?" Bankotsu moaned, his shoulders slumping.

Suddenly, Kagome jerked forward, burying her face in his chest. Her arms rested loosely around his waist, gripping the fabric of his clothing. His muscles tensed, his body frozen as he started down at her in shock.

"Uh, Kagome..." he trailed off, watching her as she cried in to his shirt.

_What the hell is happening_?

His arms hung limp at his sides as he stared down at her wide-eyed. He lifted his right arm slowly and gripped her shoulder, attempting to pry her off of him.

"Kagome... It's getting late and we should go find somewhere to sleep-"

"Shut up," she mumbled.

"...By the way... I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm not just using you for jewel shards and you're not a pain in the ass. Well, actually you are, but---"

"Shut up," she repeated firmly.

Bankotsu sighed in defeat, glaring at the ground. There was no negotiating with this girl.

But as they sat in the thick grass, fireflies floating around them and the moonlight illuminating their fixed silhouettes...

Bankotsu felt strangely comfortable.

* * *

**Theres chapter 11~ i hope you liked it, remember to review!**


	12. Chapter 12

Kagome woke up the next morning curled up underneath a tall tree. She opened her eyes slowly, staring up at the canopy of thick, leafy tree branches above her. The sun was peeking behind the leaves, and she grinned elatedly.

_Finally, the rain is gone_ she thought happily.

She stretched her stiff legs and pulled herself up, leaning against the tree trunk. However, she frowned as a light, silky blanket of red cloth fell to her waist. It pooled around her, covering her legs and feet.

"What is this?" she murmured, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

She grabbed the fabric between her fingers and pulled it to her face, examining it suspiciously. It didn't look like anything that belonged to her; it appeared to be the type of fabric that you would find at a local village, just a simple handmade cloth. She frowned as she noticed the small speckles of dried up blood and dirt. Kagome pulled it off of her body and set it to the side as she pulled herself to her feet. She stretched her arms high above her head, various bones cracking as she did so.

After a moment, she glanced around, only to find that she was in the same field from last night. The atmosphere last night had been so turbulent. The peaceful ambience that now hung in the air was much more fitting for the beautiful field, Kagome thought.

She immediately noted a lone figure in the distance, sitting cross-legged in the overgrown grass. Though he was far away, Kagome could immediately recognize Bankotsu's long black braid hanging down his back. She quickly snatched the red blanket from the ground and ran toward him.

"Hey, Bankotsu!" she called.

Her feet sloshed in the damp grass as she barreled through the field, and long blades of cold, wet grass tickled at her legs. She had to wonder why Bankotsu was sitting down; Kagome could only imagine how soaked his butt must've been.

She continued along through the field, trying to keep her footing as she slid across the wet earth.

"Hey, Bankotsu!" she yelled, waving her arms in the air.

He ignored her and she frowned. "_Bankotsu_, HEY! Hey, are you even listening—"

Suddenly, she lost her footing and tumbled to the ground, rolling through the grass and landing face down beside him. She groaned and lifted her head, her eyes closed tightly. She spit beside her, trying to get the sour taste of grass out of her mouth.

"Ouch," Bankotsu chuckled. "I bet _that _hurt."

She opened her eyes and scowled. "Thanks for offering to help me up, you jerk."

He shrugged and she rolled over, setting her hands in front of her and pulling herself up. She sat cross legged beside him and sighed heavily. The entire front of her body was now _absolutely soaked_.

"You know, you could've answered when I called you," she muttered. "So I wouldn't have fell on my face."

"At least it was funny," Bankotsu smirked, and Kagome glared at him.

"Funny for _you_," she scoffed.

"You're right. Thank you for making me laugh, Kagome. I needed it."

"My pleasure," she grumbled rolling her eyes. "I'm glad I could fulfill your sick little sadistic need to see other people in pain."

Kagome pulled the now soaked red fabric from the ground and held it out in front of her.

"Hey, Bankotsu?" she asked slowly. "Do you know where this is from? I found it on top of me this morning."

He glanced down at the fabric and his cheeks immediately turned pink. "Oh, um, I don't know," he muttered, scratching his head thoughtfully. "It must've been from, uh, a… _villager_."

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "You know exactly where it is from," she accused.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he mumbled calmly.

"This- piece of fabric! Tell me where it is from," Kagome demanded.

"Hey, since when are you allowed to boss me around?" Bankotsu growled stubbornly.

"I asked you a question."

Kagome stared at him patiently, waiting for an explanation. Sure, he was a good liar… but this time, he couldn't trick her.

Suddenly, a realization struck her. As she gazed at him, she noticed that _something _was _missing_. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Bankotsu, you look different," she said bluntly.

"Oh?"

"Mhm. Something is missing," Kagome stated.

"I got a haircut," Bankotsu said quickly.

She scoffed, "No, your hair looks the same, idiot. There's just something_ missing_."

"Uh oh, I better take care of that then," Bankotsu muttered quickly.

He pulled himself to his knees, and suddenly, it dawned on her.

"Hey, your red sash is missing!" Kagome exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at his bare waist.

Bankotsu looked down and his cheeks turned pink once more. "Oh, uh, yeah. I'll go find it—"

"I knew it!" Kagome shrieked, pulling herself to her feet and grabbing his shoulder. "I knew that you knew where this came from!"

She waved the piece of fabric in the air and Bankotsu snatched it from her quickly. "Yeah, so what?"

"Why did you give it to me?" Kagome asked slowly.

"I don't know," he snapped.

Kagome watched him as he tied it around his waist, obviously not caring that it was soaking wet.

"Bankotsu," Kagome warned.

"What?"

"Why did you give it to me?" she asked again.

"Because- I don't know," he grumbled.

Kagome's expression softened as she watched him fidget with the piece of fabric, tugging at the ends.

"Bankotsu—"

"I gave it to you so you wouldn't be cold. Since it was all… rainy and stuff last night," he said finally. "Now stop bothering me, will you?"

Kagome stared at him for a long moment, her eyes wide. He glanced over at her, his eyebrows hidden behind his bangs. "Uh, Kagome, why are you—"

"That's so sweet!" she squealed.

Bankotsu shrunk away from her as she grinned wildly. "Wow, Bankotsu! That's so unlike you."

"Yeah, whatever."

He turned around and stalked away, but then time Kagome didn't stop him. She watched him retreat, a wide smile on her face.

Bankotsu had showed a caring side of himself that she would've _never _imagined seeing. She knew that right then and there, Bankotsu _was _beginning to warm up to her.

And much to her own surprise, she was completely elated.


	13. Chapter 13

Kagome couldn't hold back a grin as she followed Bankotsu through the forest. Her eyes were glued to the back of his head, watching his braided hair as it swayed back and forth.

Her heart swelled with pride, and the morning's events replayed in her head over and over again. _Bankotsu cared about her_. Something so otherwise underwhelming meant more to her than she could ever imagine. After all, a heartless mercenary that hardly liked _anyone _had empathy for _her_, of all people.

Bankotsu glanced back at her for a moment and frowned. "Why are you so damn happy today?" he asked.

"No reason," she chirped, her smile only widening. "It's just a beautiful day."

"Listen, uh, if this is about this morning," Bankotsu started. "It didn't mean anything. Don't get used to the whole _nice _thing, okay? You'll only be disappointed because-"

"I know," Kagome cut him off. "You're only using me to find jewel shards. That doesn't mean that I can't try to make the best of this."

Bankotsu grunted and turned back around. Kagome jogged to his side, watching him as he stared ahead blankly.

"Bankotsu-"

"You're acting like I'm in love with you or something because I gave you my damn sash," he muttered. "I just don't want you to get deathly sick or something because it was cold as hell from the rain."

A smile slid on to Kagome's face, and Bankotsu narrowed his eyes. "Before you say it, I don't care about you," he said stiffly. "I need you to find jewel shards, if you've forgotten already."

Kagome felt a pang of sadness in the pit of her stomach and her smile slowly disappeared. "Oh…" she sighed. "I didn't forget."

She had just been stupid. She was so consumed in the joy that Bankotsu had done one nice thing for her… how idiotic could she be to think that he was actually going to start being _nice _to her?

Bankotsu seemed to sense her disappointment and touched her arm awkwardly. "Um, if it makes you feel better… you're… um…. not as annoying as I thought you were?"

"Nice try," Kagome muttered, rolling her eyes.

They walked in silence, the only sound coming from their footsteps sloshing against the damp grass. Kagome stared down at her feet, scowling at her dirty shoes.

"You should take those off."

Kagome glanced up at Bankotsu, her eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

He pointed down at her shoes and she frowned. "I don't think so. I don't want to step on something and get hepatitis or something. Or warts," she shuttered.

"Uh… okay," Bankotsu frowned. "But you won't get heps-a-whatever you just said… I don't have it."

"You don't even know what it is, do you?" Kagome sighed, unable to hide her amused grin.

"I don't see what's so funny. You're just weird and talk about things I've never even _heard of_," Bankotsu growled, crossing his arms over his chest indignantly.

"No, no, don't be so defensive," Kagome laughed. "It's just… cute."

She chuckled as his cheeks turned pink. He quickly looked down at the ground with a scowl.

"Yeah, whatever."

They fell silent once more, though this silence was a tad less awkward than the last. Kagome could tell that Bankotsu was angry with her, but also embarrassed with himself.

"I'm sorry, Bankotsu," she said quietly.

He looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"I shouldn't laugh at you. I know that you don't really know much about my… 'village' customs," she stated calmly.

"Mm, I'd like to see this village of yours," Bankotsu said. "Are the other villagers as _weird _as you?"

"I suppose so," Kagome sighed.

After all, people in her time were familiar with things like buses and hepatitis. Kagome could only imagine how Bankotsu would react in an entirely different world.

"I'm glad I'm not from your vi-"

Kagome froze, pressing her hand against Bankotsu's lips. She could feel him scowl underneath her fingers.

"I can sense a jewel shard," she whispered urgently. "And it's very, very close."

He swatted her hand away. "Jeez, you couldn't just told me to shut up," he muttered.

She instinctively inched closer to Bankotsu, her back pressing against his as they surveyed the area around them. She slid a bow out of her pack and mounted it on her arrow. She heard the swift clink of metal and knew that Bankotsu had unsheathed his Banryuu; it glinted in the sun from the corner of her eye.

Hey Kagome? Bankotsu asked quietly. "What direction is the jewel shard in?"

"I-I can't tell. It keeps moving," she sighed, closing her eyes. "Sometimes it's behind me… then in front…"

"Mm, the sneaky little bastard must be trying to trick us," Bankotsu smirked.

Suddenly, a branch snapped to her side and Kagome whipped around, moving her bow in front of her. Before she could comprehend what was happening, something hard hit her in the forehead and she fell backwards.

The trees seemed to spin as she stared up at the sky, her vision becoming fuzzy. She could vaguely hear her name being yelled, and the clanking of a sword.

Before she could attempt to sit up, her vision was engulfed in a black haze and she fell unconscious.

---------------

**sorry it took such a long time to get this out. i think we all know how busy school can get. i hope you liked it though, it's one of my favorite chapters, personally. ******

**remember to review~**


	14. Chapter 14

Kagome was awakened moments later as a shrill, inhuman cry rang through the forest. She tried to ignore the pounding in her forehead as she propped herself up, feeling around for her bow and arrows. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, gritting her teeth as she head began to throb harder.

She did not know what was happening around her, but somehow, she knew that she probably didn't _want _to know. The wails that reveberated through the forest told her enough. She herself didn't know the extent of Bankotsu's power; she had yet to see what was so unbelievably amazing about the great Bankotsu, leader of the Band of Seven.

All she knew was that whoever or whatever he was fighting obviously was not winning.

The cries faded to silence after a few long, excruciating moments. The forest fell silent, the only sound coming from the trees above her as wind trickled through the air and rustled their leaves. Kagome sucked in a deep breath and opened her eyes just enough to see the carnage before her. She gasped at the sight.

Before her was a giant, black and crimson colored _demon_. It must have been one of the biggest that she had ever seen, easily standing about three stories tall. It was laying face down on the forest floor, various broken off limbs strewn around it. Blood seeped from many of it's wounds, an ever expanding pool of crimson gathering around it's body. The most shocking sight, however, was right on top of it's back, silently chopping away at the demon's skin.

"Bankotsu?" Kagome gasped.

He glanced up, and before Kagome could blink, he was at her side.

"Are you alright?" he asked quickly.

"I-I'm fine but... how did you kill that demon?" she asked, still staring at the massive carcass.

"Oh, that?" Bankotsu snorted. "Do you honestly think that a demon that small could possibly beat _me_?"

"Well..." Kagome tore her gaze away from the demon, gazing up at the mercenary. "Maybe." Bankotsu narrowed his eyes.

"Okay," she sighed, shaking her head. "No."

Bankotsu grinned victoriously and walked back to the demon, hopping on to it's back and shoving his Banryuu in to a rather large hole in it's skin.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm trying to find all the damn jewel shards that this thing has," Bankotsu muttered. "I figured that you could help me out?"

"Yeah... yeah, I can," she nodded, pointing toward an arm that lay a few feet from the body. "You could start there, there is one in it's wrist."

Kagome laid down in the grass, rolling on her side and watching Bankotsu as he chopped away at the arm. With each cut he made to the demon's thick skin, blood would spray upward and sprinkle around him like raindrops. Some would land on his face, dotting his cheeks like crimson freckles. She couldn't help but to cringe as she examined him; he was _covered _in blood. His feet squished against the dampened ground as he circled around the dismembered body, surveying it with squinted eyes. His toes up to his ankles were stained red, but he didn't seem to care. He continued to trudge through the blood-soaked grass as if it was merely rain water beneath his feet.

"Help me out here," he barked sharply. "Don't you see I'm standing in blood and I'd like to get to a hot spring some time before next year!"

_So he did care_.

"Oh, um," Kagome's head snapped up. "There's two in his chest and- and that's it."

"See, it wasn't so powerful," Bankotsu smirked as jumped back on to the demon. "It only had _three _jewel shards. I mean, come on. I even have more than that. It was no match."

"Someone is cocky," Kagome mumbled, rolling her eyes.

Bankotsu raised his eyebrow, not looking up as he started to chop away at the demon once more. "What was that, wench?" he asked casually.

"You heard me," Kagome snapped. "And don't call me that."

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you don't like to be called wench," Bankotsu chuckled under his breath. "So-rry," he added sarcastically.

"You know, Bankotsu, my 8 year old little brother is more mature than you," Kagome sighed, shaking her head.

Bankotsu gasped, holding a hand to his heart. "How terrible!"

"Smart ass," Kagome muttered.

Their 'pleasant' conversation ended, and a comfortable silence engulfed the two. Kagome found it ironic that she could ever feel comfortable around someone like him. But strangely, she _did_. Well, most of the time. She had slowly warmed up to Bankotsu because in a way, she had no choice. Bankotsu was all she had, at least for now. She had no way of going home to her family, and she was probably never going to go back to Inuyasha.

There was an ache in her heart every time she thought of Inuyasha; he had hurt her, yet she still missed him. She still _loved _him, yet at the same time, she hated him. She hated him for lying. She hated him for loving Kikyou. She hated him because she was _jealous_.

Bankotsu was so much different from Inuyasha. In a way, he needed her just as much as she needed him. _She was all he had_. Something drew her toward him; she wanted to figure him out.

That is when it clicked.

_She wanted to figure him out_. Kagome wanted to know what lay behind the cold exterior of Japan's most fear mercenary. She knew that deep down, he had a heart and he had feelings. She felt an intense desire to break his mask and find what lies beneath it. He was _human_; he had emotions. Before Kagome knew him, she had only seen the dark side of Bankotsu; the hatred, the anger. Now, she wanted to see the rest. She wanted to see him love, she wanted to see him _genuinely happy_.

Kagome knew that he had a caring side. Sure, she had only seen it once or twice, but what mattered was that _it was there_.

She was going to do it. No matter how difficult he could be, she was going to do it. She was going to crack that emotional shield.

"Uh, Kagome?"

"What?" she asked immediately, snapping out of her own thoughts.

"Can you stop staring at me?" Bankotsu asked calmly. "It's kind of creepy."

Kagome's cheeks turned pink. "Oh, um, yeah, sorry," she mumbled. "I was just... I kind of got lost in my own thoughts for a minute there, I guess."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Huh?" The question caught her off guard.

Bankotsu sighed, narrowing his eyes. "What were you thinking about?" he asked again.

"Oh, nothing important."

Kagome felt a coy grin slide on to her lips as she watched him jump off of the demon, landing on the ground gracefully. He slid his Banryuu in to it's sheath and padded over to her, offering his hand. She grabbed it and allowed him to tug her to her feet gently. Her body swayed slightly as she took a step forward, her vision still spinning. Bankotsu frowned, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her from tumbling over.

"Are you alright?" he asked impatiently.

The dazed smile never left her face as she nodded, prying his arm off of her. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Bankotsu narrowed his eyes, watching her closely as she stumbled down the wide forest path. After a moment, he ran to her side, his eyes scanning over her face suspiciously. She noticed, specifically, that he was staring right at the goofy grin on her lips.

"Stop staring, it's creepy," she mocked, and he rolled his eyes.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked.

Kagome was silent for a moment, ignoring his impatient stare. She let out a sigh of relief as her vision became straight once more and the pain in her head began to subside to a tolerable ache.

"Well?" Bankotsu snapped.

"I'm just happy," she shrugged, shaking her head.

Bankotsu crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes as he glared ahead of him. "You're too happy all the time."

Kagome gazed at him fondly, her smile only growing larger. She had a mission now, and she was determined to accomplish it. No matter how long it took, she was going to crack Bankotsu, whether he liked it or not.

* * *

**i'm sorry for the wait. i meant to get this chapter out a few weeks ago but a breakup kind of took away all of my motivation for a while. im not completely happy with how this chapter turned out but i think it's good to start up the romance like i want to. :p **

**anyway, i was going to make this in to some epic fight but i figured that that would be better later on. you'll definitely be seeing Inuyasha and a few other familiar faces showing up. the story will get more interesting after chapter 15.**

**i hope you enjoyed it and review if you'd like. :]  
**


End file.
